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Our knowledge on the biography of Gastão Bueno Lobo is scarce and has more gaps, which may leave us to speculations and suggestions only. However, we want to compile the info available up till now at this site and invite readers to supply further details if possible. The story of Bueno Lobo is at some points crucial to extend our knowledge on Oscar Alemán, too, thus we devote a separate site to Bueno Lobo.

Gastão’ is the spelling of Lobo’s first name in Portuguese and may be more correct than the French/Spanish ‘Gastón’, as he was a Brazilian.

Not much is known about Bueno Lobo before his teaming up with Oscar Alemán in the Los Lobos/Les Loups duo. So far we have not been able to trace neither his year of birth nor knowledge concerning his place of living in Brazil, further no info is available regarding his family and relations before meeting Alemán in 1924. The Brazilian music historian Ary Vasconcelos suggests ( In his book Carinhoso etc. (História e Inventário do Choro) (1984)) that Lobo probably learned to play the Hawaiian slide guitar in Hawaii, which means that he may have been to this South Sea island prior to 1924 (- not unusual to people from Portugal and Brazil, as there was a colony of mainly Portuguese speaking population in Hawaii). According to another source the renowned composer Pixinguinha remembered that Bueno Lobo was the first person to introduce the banjo in Brazil in the late 1910s, which supports the suggestion that he might have travelled the US during the first decades of the 20th century.

Info supplied by Daniella Thompson

Jørgen Larsen

Most sources regarding Oscar Alemán agree on the fact that Lobo and Alemán met in Santos, Brazil, 1924. Lobo would discover and spot Oscar playing the cavaquinho at some taverna in that city and soon after they would start a co-work and teamed as the Les Loups duo. It is said that Lobo would teach Oscar the basics of playing the six string guitar and that he became his mentor, further taking a role as a kind of a stepfather in his relationship with young Oscar, who had been living the tough life of a street urchin in Santos since the break up of his family and the passing away of both of his parents.

Les Loups made their professional debut in Rio de Jainero 1925, then toured a great part of Brazil and were at some point engaged by the Argentine comedian and actor Pablo Palitos (1906-1989), who would feature the duo in performances both in Brazil (Bahia and Pernambuco) and later in Buenos Aires at the prestigious Teatro Casino. After or during this engagement Les Loups would be featured on radio and started to record for the Victor label late 1927.

Jørgen Larsen

During 1928 Harry Flemming's revue company was on tour in Argentina and Les Loups were hired as a special act and started a partnership with Flemming. This partnership brought Les Loups on tour to Europe in 1929, starting in Portugal and lasting until their breaking up with Flemming early 1931 in Spain. Les Loups quit Flemming's group because of financial disagreement, they tried for some time to find work as a duo in Spain, but they met hard times and no steady job. Some sources mention that Oscar and Lobo were constantly argueing about money and as a result of this they would split. Other sources, however, put it in this way: Lobo would discover he suffered an incurabe disease (probably cancer) and then decided to return to Brazil, where he committed suicide.

The story about Lobo going to Paris, France, to do audition for a job as a guitarist with the Josephine Baker orchestra is probably true. He had heard from Belgian trumpeter Robert de Kers that Baker needed a guitar player with the Baker Boys, but the musicians did not want Lobo after the audition. Instead they mentioned Oscar Alemán as another option, Josephine therefore sent for him - a telegram was sent to him in Madrid. Now the story goes that Oscar first declined Josephine's offer out of loyalty to Lobo, his mentor and closest relation. Anyway, we know for sure that Alemán in the end accepted the diva's offer, joined the Baker Boys and stayed with her until 1939. What became of Lobo after his beeing neglected by Baker's musicians is, however, still an open question. We know for sure he returned to Brazil and that he continued his career as a musician, the evidence is recordings made in 1932 and 1938.

Jørgen Larsen

According to discographical info available in the Funarte database of Brazilian recordings from 1902-64 Lobo cut nine recordings during the 1930'ies, most of them in 1932, but also the two sides with Laurindo Almeida in 1938, (Odeon, 11649A: Saudade Que Passa ,Odeon, 11649B: Inspiração) . Furthermore, the Brazilian musician and researcher, Jorge Mello, has informed that Lobo worked as a staff musician at Rádio Mayrink Veiga until the beginning of 1937. He played with Garoto, Laurindo Almeida (who joined Mayrink Veiga in 1936), and Aymoré, and formed the 'Conjuncto Hawaiano'. His co-work with Almeida is documented by the mentioned 78 rpm Odeon recording from 1938 and from their co-authorship on the composition "Se Recordar É Viver," which was recorded by Roberto Paiva 10/08/1939 and released May 1940 according to the available discographical info in the Funarte database. This is, so far, what is known about Lobo's activities during the 1930'ies after returning to Brazil.

The final info concerning Lobo’s biography is supplied in Ary Vasconcelos’ book on Brazilian music Carinhoso etc. (História e Inventário do Choro) (1984) Here it is stated that Lobo passed away in 1939, however, the circumstances untold and therefore still open to speculations and the supply of further details.

Outro músico curioso que trará nesta época uma contribuição curiosa para o choro é Gastão Bueno Lobo. Ele vai introduzir na música popular brasileira em geral, e no choro em particular, a guitarra havaiana, instrumento que aprendera no Havaí. Falecido em 1939, Gastáo iria ter no violonista de São Paulo, Garoto -- cujo verdadeiro nome era Aníbal Augusto Sardinha -- o seu herdeiro neste instrumento.

Info supplied by Daniella Thompson

Jørgen Larsen

The info on the formation and breaking up of Les Loups summarized above is mainly taken from two articles accessable on the following two websites:

Oscar Aleman: à l'ombre de Django

Un Oscar Con Swing by Carlos G. Groppa

The compilation of available info on Bueno Lobo had not been possible without the tireless support and help from Daniella Thompson, who has supplied essential info and links regarding the subject.

Daniella Thompson on Brazil

Musica Brasiliensis

Jørgen Larsen